Ingredients
1 lb. Pasta, like Strozzapreti Pasta
Basil Pesto
1/4 cup Pine Nuts, toasted (or substitute almonds or walnuts)
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed
2 cups Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
1/4 cup Plus 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup Finely Grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano
Tomato Salad
2 Large Tomatoes, or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp. White Balsamic Vinegar
1 bsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
1–2 tsp. Minced Parsley
Instructions
Blanch the basil leaves for 30 seconds in boiling water and then quickly transfer the blanched leaves to an ice bath.
Once cooled, squeeze water out of the basil leaves and add them to a food processor with toasted pine nuts, kosher salt and garlic. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Then transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese. Taste and season with more kosher salt if needed. Set the pesto aside.
Set a pot with 3 quarts of water to boil.
Toss the tomato pieces in a bowl with white balsamic vinegar. Then add the olive oil and toss to coat. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Stir in about 1-2 teaspoons of minced parsley. Set the tomato salad aside.
Salt the pasta water with about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente.
Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, scoop out 1.5 cups of the pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot and set the heat to low.
Add the pesto to the pot along with about ½ cup of the pasta water. Stir vigorously to create a creamy sauce, adding more pasta water as needed to keep the pasta loose and creamy. Cut the heat.
Portion the pasta into wide shallow bowls. Use a slotted spoon to scoop portions of the tomato salad to top each serving of pasta. Sprinkle fresh cracked black pepper and parmesan on top.
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